On November 3, 2023, the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, held a meeting with leaders of the Parish Development Model (PDM) SACCOs in Kawempe division, Kampala. The meeting took place at the National ICT Innovation center in Nakawa.
Magyezi’s primary concern was the distribution of PDM funds in Kampala. He pointed out that beneficiaries in the region had not received the money allocated to them by the government. This prompted him to convene this meeting to investigate the status of the SACCOs and the disbursement of funds to beneficiaries.
During the meeting, Magyezi encouraged the PDM SACCO leaders of Kawempe to make every effort to ensure that all beneficiaries receive their allocated funds. He emphasized the importance of equitable distribution and cautioned against favoring relatives.
Magyezi stated, “It is unfair for a PDM SACCO chairperson to allocate funds solely to family members, such as their spouse, children, or uncle.”
One of the key issues raised by the Kawempe PDM SACCO leaders during their discussion with Magyezi was the lack of an integrated system between the banks and the PDM SACCO monitoring system. They highlighted the need for a mechanism to alert them when a SACCO member has received their funds. Currently, the monitoring system fails to accurately reflect the status of funds once a member withdraws their PDM money from their bank account.
Furthermore, the leaders cited a lack of essential resources, including office space, computers, stationery, and other supplies, as significant challenges. In response to these concerns, Magyezi assured the leaders that the government would provide computers to each PDM SACCO and offer allowances to the respective PDM SACCO committees.
Asia Nabisere Kinaabi, the PDM coordinator in Kampala, revealed that there are a total of 98 PDM SACCOs in Kampala, with 22 of them located in Kawempe division. She confirmed that all 22 SACCOs in Kawempe have received their allocated funds, amounting to a total of sh9.7 billion disbursed to PDM SACCOs in Kampala.